# jump through hoops

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/jump-through-hoops
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To put forth great effort to meet requirements, usually arbitrary, set by someone.

## Examples

- I have to jump through hoops to get this permit.
- You often jump through hoops to please your difficult boss.
- The bank made us jump through hoops just to approve our small business loan.
- I had to jump through hoops to get my medical records transferred to the new clinic before my appointment.
- The insurance company is making her jump through hoops by asking for the same documents three different times.
- Despite his impressive qualifications, the candidate was forced to jump through hoops before the committee would even consider his application.

## Origin

The idiom derives from the 19th-century circus ring, where animals were trained to leap through wooden or metal rings to demonstrate their obedience. The performance of such repetitive and artificial tasks served as a public display of the trainer's control over the creature's natural instincts. This circus imagery settled into the English lexicon to describe the execution of numerous arduous or unnecessary requirements to satisfy an authority.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.